Allocating Code Space to Base Stations

1. A method comprising: a portable base station, requesting a mobile handset to measure signal strengths associated with an identified portion of a code space; and sending a message that represents the signal strength measurements to a remotely located control station.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: selecting a portion of the code space for use by the portable base station, based at least in part upon the measurements of signal strength.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which requesting the signal strength measurement includes identifying a portion of code space in which to measure signal strength.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which the identified portion of code space is selected based upon the geographic location of the portable base station.

5. The method of claim 1 , in which the code space includes one or more sequences of pseudorandom numbers and associated timing offsets.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a message at the portable base station that identifies a portion of code space assigned to the portable base station from the control station.

7. An apparatus comprising: a portable base station configured to request a mobile handset to measure signal strengths associated with an identified portion of a code space and send a message that represents the signal strength measurements to a remotely located control station.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the portable base station is further configured to: select a portion of the code space for use by the portable base station, based at least in part upon the measurements of signal strength.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the portable base station is further configured to: identify a portion of code space in which to request measurements of signal strength.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the identified portion of code space is selected based upon the geographic location of the portable base station.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 in which: the code space includes one or more sequences of pseudorandom numbers and associated timing offsets.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the portable base station is further configured to: receive a message that identifies a portion of code space assigned to the portable base station from the control station.

13. A system, comprising: a portable base station configured to request a mobile handset to measure signal strength associated with identified elements of a code space and further configured to send a message that represents received signal strength measurements; and a control station configured to assign a portion of the code space to the portable base station based in part upon said signal strength measurements.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the portable base station is further configured to: select, based at least in part upon geographic location of the portable base station, a portion of code space in which to request measurements of signal strength.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the code space includes one or more sequences of pseudorandom numbers and associated timing offsets.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the portable base station calculates a weighted average of signal strength measurements from multiple mobile handsets for one or more code space elements.

17. A computer readable storage device storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution causing the processing device to: send a request to measure signal strengths associated with an identified portion of a code space from a portable base station to a mobile handset; and send a message that represents the signal strength measurements to a remotely located control station from the portable base station.

18. The storage device of claim 17 in which the instructions cause the processing device to: select a portion of the code space for use by the portable base station, based at least in part upon the measurements of signal strength.

19. The storage device of claim 17 in which the instructions cause the processing device to: identify a portion of code space in which to measure signal strength.

20. The storage device of claim 17 in which the identified portion of code space is selected based upon the geographic location of the portable base station.

21. The storage device of claim 17 in which the code space includes one or more sequences of pseudorandom numbers and associated timing offsets.

22. The storage device of claim 17 in which the instructions cause the processing device to: receive a message at the portable base station that identifies a portion of code space assigned to the portable base station from the control station.

23. An apparatus comprising: a portable antenna configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals; a portable base station connected to the portable antenna and comprising: a radio node configured to control the portable antenna and to comply with at least one wireless communication protocol; a radio node controller configured to provide transmission signals to the radio node and receive signals from the radio node to establish a connection between the portable base station and a mobile handset, the radio node controller is also configured to request the mobile handset measure signal strength associated with an identified portion of a code space; and an access gateway for exchanging data packets with a network, wherein the access gateway is configured to send a message that represents the measured signal strength to a remotely located control station.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the portable base station sends a TrafficChannelAssignment message to the mobile handset to request the signal strength measurement.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the portable base station sends an ExtendedChannelAssignment message to the mobile handset to request the signal strength measurement.